BAR Mugello test summary 2004-04-28/30

The Lucky Strike B*A*R Honda team was back in action this week after its
second-placed podium finish at the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola.
Undertaking a three-day test in the B*A*R Honda 006 at the Mugello
circuit in Italy were race drivers...

The Lucky Strike B*A*R Honda team was back in action this week after its
second-placed podium finish at the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola.
Undertaking a three-day test in the B*A*R Honda 006 at the Mugello
circuit in Italy were race drivers Jenson Button and Takuma Sato,
together with third driver Anthony Davidson.

Located in mountainous surroundings, the Mugello track is situated 30
kilometres north of Florence. The 5.245km circuit features a long
straight and various chicanes which make it suitable for technical
testing, especially for engine and aerodynamic work. Due to its location,
weather conditions are often changeable, and the team experienced some
warm, sunny mornings before the ambient temperatures became slightly
cooler and rain set in.

Anthony opened the team's testing at Mugello on day one by running
through a tyre test in chassis 006-04. He completed his initial 14 lap
run but had to stop out on the circuit with an engine oil leak which
resulted in a small fire. On further inspection no serious damage to the
car was found and Anthony resumed testing in the afternoon to complete
his test programme of 98 laps (512kms).

Jenson joined the programme on Thursday by taking over the driving duties
from Anthony in chassis 006-04. He completed a total of 65 laps with his
aerodynamic test and clocked the second fastest time of the day behind
Takuma - a 1:19:601.

Takuma's two-day programme, which started on Wednesday, was largely
concentrated on evaluating Michelin tyre options and an aerodynamic
development for the forthcoming Spanish Grand Prix. He completed 109 laps
with the second fastest time of 1:19.637, only one tenth of a second
behind Michael Schumacher's Ferrari.

On his second day, Takuma continued his test in chassis 006-02 when his
main programme was to evaluate the best options from day one's tyre test.
In the afternoon, he set the fastest time of the day and indeed the test
- a 1:19.150 - almost half a second quicker than the time Michael
Schumacher recorded. Takuma completed a total of 66 laps on day two
before rain brought the test programme to an early close.

This morning Jenson completed a short wet tyre test for Michelin before
running through an aerodynamic programme. Despite the wet weather
conditions, he completed 35 laps and set the fastest time of the morning
- a 1:27.156. Jenson's test programme was not resumed after lunch due to
the circuit conditions and he was therefore unable to improve on his time
set during this morning's running.

Anthony took over in chassis 02 today when despite the wet weather, he
managed to clock the third fastest time of the morning - a 1:28.086 -
just 0.325 seconds behind Barrichello's Ferrari. However, this afternoon
saw Anthony set the fastest time of the day - a 1:20:150 - during a short
tyre and aerodynamic test and he completed his day with a total of 81
laps.

Jenson Button:

"Unfortunately we had a few minor problems at the test in Mugello. I'm
disappointed that we didn't achieve all that we would've liked to in our
test plan. We struggled for most of the first day to find a set-up that
worked, but fortunately, towards the end, we were able to find a balance
we were happy with. We concentrated most of our efforts on aerodynamics
and testing new parts. For the second day of the test we also worked on
tyres, but this was hampered a bit by the weather. It was positive to
find that the car and tyres worked well in the wet conditions. I'm
looking forward to the race in Spain now. We should have a good car there
immediately and be competitive right from the beginning of the weekend."

Takuma Sato:

"I am very pleased with the test we have completed at Mugello. In two
days we have achieved high mileage completed mainly during a very
successful tyre test on the compounds for Barcelona. We are hoping that
another step forward that we have made in our aerodynamic package during
this test will give us more grip for the high speed Barcelona circuit. I
am particularly pleased with the results since I experienced extremely
bad weather at our test at Paul Ricard. The set-up problem that I had
during the San Marino Grand Prix has been resolved during this test and I
am confident of achieving a good result in Barcelona next week."

Andrew Alsworth, Test Team Manager:

"We have enjoyed a very productive test at Mugello this week. The car has
been incredibly quick and reliable and it is great to be able to come to
Ferrari's backyard and compete with them. The car's overall performance
has been reflected by the time Takuma set on our second day of testing -
a 1:19:150 - and the fastest time of the week."